Italy (first time): Need help finalizing vacation plans!
 

I've never been to Italy before so I've been doing some research but it seems like everybody has completely different opinions. (eg. some say to skip Venice, others say they love it, etc)

Anyways, I need to finalize my plans really soon so I'm hoping to get some help.

I'll be in Italy for 9 days. 8 full days, 1 mostly full day (we arrive 8:00am), and 1 short day (we depart 10:00am).

We definitely want to see Rome and the Vatican, and Florence. We've also heard great things about Positano (near Sorrento/Naples) and perhaps Venice.

We also have a private tour guide for Rome who will pick us up from the airport and drive us to the train station whenever we need but his actual tour will only be for 1.5 days.

Venice seems really unique but it's quite far to the north so one option we have is landing in Venice, taking a train to Florence (carrying out luggage), and then ending in Rome with day-trips to Positano/Pompeii, etc. We could also do the opposite and arrive in Rome and work our way up to Venice.

Here's a rough plan of what I'm thinking:

* Saturday: Arrive in Rome at 8:30 am. Tour guide picks us up from airport and gives tour of Rome with remainder of day.
* Sunday: Tour guide shows us Rome.
* Monday: Tour the Vatican (and see extra stuff in Rome?)
* Tuesday: Day-trip to Positano.
* Wednesday: Day-trip to Pompeii.
* Thursday: Go to Florence. Tour Florence.
* Friday: Tour Florence.
* Saturday: ??? (more Florence?)
* Sunday: Return to Rome. Spend day re-visiting Rome.
* Monday: Depart at 10:00am.

The easiest thing for me is to both arrive and depart in Rome (since we have the tour guide and free trips to/from the airport) but I'm not sure thats the best idea.

I'd like to see a mix of history and "real Italy" (Tuscany?).

Can anybody give me any advice?

I'm skeptical about skipping Venice and I'd really like to see it but it seems to far north and that my time could be better spent elsewhere...

You cant really do a day trip to Positano from Rome. You can do a REALLY long day trip to Pompeii, but with 9 days I wouldnt recommend it. Stick to Rome and Florence, 5 days Rome, 4 days Florence with a day trip to Siena...or 4 days Rome, 2 days Florence, 2 days Venice...something like that.

Part of the joy of being in Italy is enjoying the cafes and relaxing. Less really means seeing more!

Oh, Ostia Antica is just outside of Rome and very easy day trip instead of Pompeii

With only 8 days, I would visit Rome and one other place:

Rome and Florence
OR
Rome and Venice
OR
Rome and the Amalfi Coast/Pompeii

I would NOT do a day trip to Positano and then another to Pompeii.

I would fly into one place and fly home from the second--for example, you could fly into Rome and home from Naples. Or Venice.

It is all the "real" Italy! The time of year will impact the decision. When will you go?

If you are determined to go south of Rome, overnight there, perhaps in Sorrento, from which you could access Positano and Pompeii on separate days.

What are you interested in? Italy (where I live) is layer upon layer of history and sights. If you are more interested in natural beauty than architecture or history, you should gear your trip to satisfy yourself, and vice versa.

You can't comprehensively grasp Italy in 8 days - and, yes: When are you going?

No reason to drive 4 hours to Positano, passing near Pompeii along the way, return 4 hours to Rome for the night, and then drive to Pompeii the next day.

In any case, don't split your time in Rome if you must arrive and depart from Rome.

* Saturday: Arrive in Rome at 8:30 am. Go directly to Florence. (Guide could pick you up and drive you to the train station in Rome)
* Sunday: Florence
* Monday: Florence
* Tuesday: Train to Naples/Sorrento
* Wednesday: Day-trip to Positano.
* Thursday: Stop at Pompeii on the way to Naples to catch train to Rome
* Friday: Tour Rome.
* Saturday: Rome
* Sunday: Rome.
* Monday: Depart at 10:00am.

Florence 3 nights, Sorrento 2 nights, Rome 5 nights

My sisters and I went to Italy for the first time last year. We loved it! I have to warn you I am an aggressive traveler and tend to pack my days very full.

Here are my comments about your trip:
1. Rome was my favorite city we had planned to spend 4 days but ended up spending 3 because we saw everything in that time. If you pushed it you could do it in 2.5 days.
2. Florence is great I would spend 2 days there.
3. Venice - we didn't go for the same reason you are hesitate people had different opinions about Venice and since it was farther away we skipped it.
4. I loved Tuscany. It was my favorite. I wouldn't recommend the more touristy places like Assisi and San Gimi. (but thats a personal opinion I love quiet small towns with things to see). In Tuscany I would travel one hour by train to Orvieto (we stayed at this really nice B&B that they should have charged us a lot more for). Then we took a day trip to smaller towns - one was called Civita and I don't remember the name of the other. Civita sits on a hilltop and you have to walk across the footbridge to get to it. I loved it.

Anyway hope that helps!!! Any questions?

Venice is heaven on earth.
With 9 days I would do... the big 3....

Rome 3
Florence 2
Venice 3

The only problem with being in Florence on Monday is that most of the important museums in Florence are closed on Monday so if that is important to you that might be a problem.

Saturday..arrive in Venice and explore Venice
Sunday..enjoy Venice
Monday enjoy Venice and go to Florence late afternoon (a 3 hour trip by train from Venice to Florence), have dinner in Florence and enjoy walking around.
Tuesday..Florence
Wednesday..train to Rome in the morning (about a 90 minute train ride).
Thursday..Rome
Friday..Rome
Saturaday..Rome
Sunday..Rome
Monday..depart from Rome at 10:00am

If you still felt the desire and had the energy you could take the long trip to Pompeii while in Rome. I wouldn't but you could decide that when in Rome. I wouldn't do that the day before you fly home however as you want to be somewhat rested for your flight home. I wouldn't look at the day you fly home as a day to see anything regardless of where you fly home from as you will need to get packed, checked out of your hotel, get to the airport etc. So Monday is really just a "travel day".

Or you could reverse the schedule as you said and arrive in Rome and later train to Florence and then train to Venice and fly home from Venice.

Or you could arrive in Rome, train to Sorrento, visit Positano and Pompeii and then train to Florence and enjoy being there and then train back to Rome and spend your last days in Rome and fly home from Rome.

You no doubt will have some jetlag on arrival in Italy (assuming you are flying from the US) so do keep that in mind.

And yes, when will you be in Italy? Depending on the time frame that might affect your energy level as July/August can get very hot with high humidity. Other months can be hot and humid too but July/August always seems to be the hottest weather wise.

Yes, LoveItaly, I noticed my Florence on Monday day, but not everything is closed. Or they might actually use it as a day to . . . relax . . . a novel idea for this itinerary. Or go to Fiesole. Or go to Siena. Or go to Pisa for the morning . . .

Regarding spidey's post, Orvieto is not in Tuscany and if you travel too fast, you are likely to be unable to remember where you went.